Report from the Tiverton Staghounds Point to Point meeting held at Bratton Down on Sunday 8^th June 2008.

Three great days at the Royal Cornwall Show and then an early morning dash up to Bratton Down saw us take up our positions in glorious weather. What a beautiful place this is when the weather is fine. The conditions on this course do not appear to have changed at all and the going will be on the firm side of good and racing will be fast. Plenty of entries and seven races are planned with visitors from afar threatening to arrive to show the Westcountry how it is done. Ashley Farrant’s record of wins in a season is under threat from Oliver Greenall and another one who is new to racing down here is Nick Oliver who has a couple of rides. Top lady jockeys are also expected as there is a close run for their seasonal championship as well.

Firstly we must get to grips with the Hunt race for which there are four runners. I have to concentrate, as the tin had been seriously attacked and not by investing either, but by being available to the bag handler whilst at the show. A new bag was purchased with many more compartments than the previous receptacle and a new purse to accompany it cost the earth as well. So the storage is available; all that is necessary now is the correct investments to fill the tin before the season ends. Gary Wilson’s tongue tied, blinkered RIVER HEIGHTS with Sam Allwood up is the odds on favourite at the off but I have settled for one of the joint second favourites in R Grant’s tongue tied HARNAGE who I am sure Caroline Farrant can take to victory here. The other second favourite is The Apps Family GREY CISEAUX who Eleri Apps will be driving along and the outsider of the field is Tessa Hayes on the family’s best turned out GETAWAY GIRL. The bag needs the favourite to win followed home by my choice as a straight forecast before anything can be deposited in it, so a little whisper with hands together and eyes raised upwards is sure to make things right. Off they go and HARNAGE was soon jumping well and taking this little field along. Passing the judge for the first time and with two complete circuits to travel it was HARNAGE followed by RIVER HEIGHTS, GREY CISEAUX and GETAWAY GIRL. The latter got a little close to one of the fences down the back and was given a sharp slap for this misdemeanour, but the others were travelling well. All over the first open ditch (fence 8) passing the start area and up the far side. Unfortunately at the top bend RIVER HEIGHTS decided to go back to his box and ran out giving Sam Allwood no chance whilst HARNAGE took the remainder past the judge with Tessa giving GETAWAY GIRL some reminders to try and get her moving but having very little joy. As the race quickened down to fence fourteen it was HARNAGE jumping and travelling well just ahead of GREY CISEAUX and Tessa still working on her charge. Over the final open ditch and HARNAGE was clear, but give Eleri her due, she was keeping GREY CISEAUX right up to his work and the grey was responding well. Now with HARNAGE in front (just!) and three fences to go it was time for a little vocal support and the occasional jump up and down. Not too much but just a little! HARNAGE was jumping well and was certainly travelling the better. Bye-pass the second last and into the final fence and the long pull up the finish. It was a great race and both girls gave it their all but it was the favourite HARNAGE who got to the line first by half a length. There were only two finishers. Well that’s a little for the tin but nothing for the new bag!

The Intermediate will see eight go to post and the Westcountry will get their first chance to see the successful Oliver Greenall ride as he is on the odds on favourite, Lord Daresbury’s PRISTINE CONDITION, but the form line says this one likes gd/heavy and he is certainly not going to get that here today. Second favourite is The Parsifalians Club’s PARSIFAL (by Sadler’s Wells USA) who Claire Allen will be attempting to get 500 winners for well known trainer Dick Bainbridge and with the excellent breeding and a seven length winner of his Restricted behind him, is the one I will choose to put a little more in the tin. Nick Oliver is here to ride the Bearwood Partnership’s ANTONINE and this one is taking some of the investments as is best turned out David Newton’s ONEMOREDEAL (R Woollacott) but the favourite remains odds on. Of they go! PARSIFAL was full of himself and Claire had to work at keeping him in order, but by fence three things had settled and he took over in front of the affair. The pace was a good one and PARSIFAL was jumping really well and soon had the field stretched out. By the time the race reached the final open ditch PARSIFAL still had a good lead and others were now being asked to go about getting to him and the favourite in particular had a lot to do. Two out and the gap on the leader was closing and it was the favourite that was doing it, but ten lengths had to be made up. Into the home straight for the final time and one fence to jump and it was still PARSIFAL. PRISTINE CONDITION and ANTONINE were closing the gap but both were left far too much to do against this good thing and all my cheering and shouting and jumping was not really necessary as PARSIFAL came home to win by three lengths from PRISTINE CONDITION with ANTONINE eight lengths back in third. I had managed the price of five to two so the tin was about to receive quite a handful. Nice - thank you!

The Men’s Open race is going to be a very good race as thirteen go to post and the young Oliver Greenall is again in action and this time is up on E Brook’s NETWORK OSCAR who has solid form this season. Even money was available but only for a very short time and would go off at odds on. The nearest challengers, price wise, are The Ceez the Moment Partnership’s MR CEE (Nick Oliver) and Mrs Sellman’s ARCTIC SKY who won here recently at a handsome price. Off they go! I have no investment in this race so I can sit back and watch it all happen because I am not confident about any of them. MR CEE took the field around for a while but others had a go at leading and kept the good pace up. Ian Popham on GIN ‘N’ FONIC took it up for a while but the most impressive as they cleared the final open ditch was A Finch’s ZESTA FIESTA (Danny Cook). The favourite had a few lengths to make up as Danny Cook kicked ZESTA FIESTA over three from home; this one was going well. Two from home and the favourite had made up some now and was travelling well. Despite all efforts from Danny Cook ZESTA FIESTA could not match the finishing speed of NETWORK OSCAR who went on to win by seven lengths. GIN ‘N’ FONIC was a further five lengths back in third. Neither of us collected this time.

Twelve to compete in the Ladies’ Open race and I make it joint favourites in P Maltby’s best turned out RYE BROOK (R Green) and the Walter’s FLEUR DE NIKOS (J Carr), I settled my investment on the former whereas the bag handler settled for the latter. Of they go with the remainder available at much bigger prices except perhaps for R Francome’s GEMSTER who has the inform Polly to urge her along with only ten stone seven pound to hinder her. It wasn’t long before Jenny Carr had her charge settled and took it up and was going well by fence three. Vanessa Shaw had her GUDLAGE up there as well and P Miles’s VALJEAN (H Lewis) soon joined this pair and this trio took them down to the first of the open ditches. Then came the bad news, that RYE BROOK had unseated Rachel and was out of it and so was my investment. The bag handler said – ‘sorry’ and smiled! Her investment was still leading the field. Passing the judge with one more circuit to go it was FLEUR DE NIKOS by three lengths from VALJEAN. In third place was Claire Allen on Roger Maggs’s MISTER PUTT, then GUDLAGE and The Mini Dreams Partnership’s LAVA (C Hart). Up to the final open ditch it was still Jenny Carr pushing on by about six lengths and looking full of running. SAINT ROMBLE (K Hobbs) was trying as was GEMSTER but all was in vain as FLEUR DE NIKOS could not wait for these others to catch up and went for home and got there easily to win by eight lengths from SAINT ROMBLE with GEMSTER ten lengths back in third. They were carrying light weights, but the winner got round here in five minutes forty five seconds. That’s quick! Well done for the bag handler, open up the new zip and make a deposit.

Next comes the Restricted race and Olly Greenall will be riding for a Westcountry trainer and owner. The trainer being Ollie Bush and the owner being that dedicated P to P owner, Mrs Pam Pengelly and the horse is BIG DAVES LEGEND. This one has two ways of operating; to win or pull up. Not a very consistent runner but I see the Pengelly family are here today in their car loads and that is a good sign and further more there is a chance you will hear from one or perhaps two of them if BIG DAVES LEGEND comes up the home straight anywhere near leading. Young Mister Greenall might have heard cheering when he has won on different courses but I can assure him he hasn’t heard anything yet, BUT there is a matter of getting round here first to the good of all the other runners, all eleven of them. Off they go with Axe Valley Racing’s best turned out MASTER MARK (Rachel Green) the nine to four favourite then came second favourites JEL Racing’s CRAIGMOR (P Gundry) and BIG DAVES LEGEND. R Oliver’s CAPTAIN MACHELL (M Woodward) set the pace and took the field along and others took their turn in following. After fence thirteen CAPTAIN MACHELL began to come back to the field and swinging along on the outside came BIG DAVES LEGEND and closed up into second place with SPELLAR PARK (D Cook) up into third. The leaders were all over fence fifteen and S Snowdon and C Lance’s EMBERCOME (W White) was also now closing up. Over the final open ditch and it was CAPTAIN MACHELL followed by SPELLAR PARK and BIG DAVES LEGEND. Two fences left to jump and still CAPTAIN MACHELL led the field and BIG DAVES LEGEND lost his footing and may have lost his racing momentum but the connections didn’t care as they began their cheering. To the final fence and still CAPTAIN MACHELL held the lead but BIG DAVES LEGEND was closing up. The commentary from this point onwards is being drowned by the Pengelly followers as BIG DAVES LEGEND gets upsides the long time leader. Now a crescendo of noise was reached as Pam was cheering, Dave was shouting, Helen took to screaming, Rob was not quite sure what to do but Johnny knew how to shout and so did Gilly. Connor and Georgeena did their share as well and BIG DAVES LEGEND obliged and got the better of CAPTAIN MACHELL and crossed the line to win by two lengths with SPELLAR PARK eight lengths back in third. Well done, you deserve it for your faith in this one!

Two Open maiden races followed and what a delight it was to witness the Pengelly bandwagon roll on to an even louder welcome home to first place for Pam’s blinkered grey THAT’S MY BOY who Amanda Bush brought up the final straight to win by seven lengths. This has been a frustrating horse to say the least for the connections and the form line is almost pronounceable, as it consists of very few figures but a host of letters but it has surely been worth it. It was lovely to see Pam collecting the silver ware and maybe now THAT’S MY BOY will soon get over the roar in his ears and go on to better things. Second was R Grant’s NINAH (M Woodward) and Polly was third on Sally Alford’s KARLEY. Just a little more for the tin after this one, so it is looking quite healthy again.

Finally it was the turn of Mr Jordan, who thanks to DEFRA could not show his sheep at the Royal Cornwall Show, but could rejoice with his ASHWOOD winning the second division of the Open maiden. It was not an uneventful ride for Polly but she came across the line in the end to win by twenty lengths from Will White on the jointly owned mare CATCH YOU LATER.

That brought Bratton Down to an end for another year and what a great day it has been and still the sun shines. It has been mentioned to me today that the best words heard from the staff here, in particular the gentleman on the gate were quote park were you like there is plenty of room for every one unquote and not a car park attendant in sight. A super day’s racing – thank you Tiverton Staghounds!

Next week is the final. Plenty of entries and don’t forget the Pony racing finals after the P to P proper. Please support the youngsters, they are our future!

Torrington Farmers at Umberleigh Saturday 14^th June 2008 first race 2 pm - BE THERE!

Fred and Ruth